Final Project - Commercial For Q-Tips

EOC Week 10: Marketing Channels

To get my product noticed, I plan to use the marketing channel called intensive distribution. Intensive distribution involves “stocking the product in as many outlets as possible” (Armstrong and Kotler 324). Unlike products like high end watches, jewelry, gourmet foods, or boutique items which would more than likely benefit from the exclusive distribution channel , Q-Tips are not a product that one would want to have to go to a specialty store to get. The best possible method to distribute Q-Tips is to have them readily available at any grocery, drug, and convenience store. My product will also benefit from the conventional distribution channel rather than a vertical marketing system because of the nature of the product. Q-Tips are just not the type of product that could possibly be structured in a vertical marketing system; the channel members could not possibly hold enough power to make it work. Each separate link in the distribution chain will be only concerned with their own profits. By allowing all these intermediaries to profit as much as possible, they have a very solid incentive to stock the product; the end result is intensive distribution. Q-Tips will be at every and any location that one might look for them, which is exactly what my target demographic wants.

EOC Week 9: Three Great Mission Statements

One good mission statement written by one of my classmates was written by Raymond Otero. His mission statement was easy to follow and was certainly a “statement of the organization’s purpose—what it wants to accomplish in the larger environment” (Armstrong and Kotler 39). His mission statement was good because it wasn’t just something like ‘to sell air deodorizing products,” it had substance to it and was market oriented. Another good mission statement was written by Kayleigh Bloomfield. Her mission statement was specific and motivating; it addressed the specific demographic her advertizing would be targeting, and also that she would make sure that the brand would not be cheapened. “Mission statements should be meaningful and specific yet motivating. They should emphasize the company’s strengths in the marketplace. Too often, mission statements are written for public relations purposes and lack specific, workable guidelines” (Armstrong and Kotler 40). Another good mission statement was written by Holly Burke. Her mission statement was concise and specific. Her mission statement focuses on creating growth in the company, but also in making the brand into a household name. “An organization exists to accomplish something, and this purpose should be clearly stated” (Armstrong and Kotler 39). Her mission statement clearly defines why the organization exists, and that is to create a brand that is universally used as a household necessity.

EOC Week 8: Disastrous New Products

A new product that I think would not do well at all is a cell phone strap that straps your cell phone to your head. A large black Velcro strap attached to your cell phone wraps around your head to keep the phone against your head placed perfectly to where you can hear and speak into the phone without your hands.  Besides the fact that the strap would be ugly and uncomfortable, the strap would also be obsolete; most people use blue-tooth hands-free devices for that purpose. Maybe if a cell phone strap product that was a little more discrete and comfortable came out years ago, before any Bluetooth hands free devices were available, it could have been successful; but in today’s market, it could not work. Another product that would inevitably fail would be a $1000 handbag that has no well known brand attached to it. People pay that kind of money for handbags not because the bag itself is worth that amount of money, but because the bag has the logo or name of an upscale brand like Louis Vuitton or Gucci on it. The value assigned to a brandless handbag is generally under $20. Even if the zippers were made out of gold, the bag would still be almost worthless as there would be absolutely no brand recognition and therefore no reference for assigning value. One more product that would definitely not work out would be cookie-dough flavored toothpaste. People brush their teeth to clean them; the goal of teeth-brushing is to end up with a clean and fresh feeling mouth. Using toothpaste flavored like cookie dough would completely defeat the purpose of brushing teeth and I am certain that it would be a huge flop.

Implementation Evaluation Control

Finally, the time has come to implement my marketing plan and the commercial that was produced for the product Q-Tips. “Through implementation, the company turns the plans into actions” (Armstrong and Kotler 55). The video has been put up on YouTube.com and is now viewable by anyone who searches for Q-Tips commercials. Once the advertisement is out there, I can evaluate how it is working. I can evaluate if my initial goals are being met, and how effective the marketing strategies I implemented are. “Control consists of measuring and evaluating the results of marketing activities and taking corrective action where needed” (Armstrong and Kotler 55). With my evaluations, I can then take action to correct any errors in my marketing strategy. If I feel that there is something that can be done to better reach my goal, I can take the appropriate steps to make the necessary adjustments to my strategy and advertisement. Through evaluation and control, I will be able to see how my plan is working and make any final changes to make it run more smoothly. This is the last stage of the marketing plan elements and is where the marketing plan really comes to life, and where I can truly see its effectiveness.

Price

The price of my product is around $4.99 for a 500 pack of Q-Tip brand cotton swabs. This is around two dollars more expensive than a generic version of the same product. “If consumers perceive that the company’s product or service provides greater value, the company can charge a higher price” (Armstrong and Kotler 280). People are aware that Q-Tip brand will cost more, and they are willing to pay it because it is of a higher quality. Consumers will pay premium prices for the Q-Tip brand because the brand name Q-Tip has become synonymous with the word cotton swab; this is called dominant mind share and is the ultimate goal of any company when choosing a brand name. “Many firms try to build a brand name that will eventually become identified with the product category” (Armstrong and Kotler 231). Q-Tips must be sold at a price that is higher than their competitors because of the brands perceived value. If Q-Tips suddenly started to cost less than or even equal to their generic competitors prices, consumers would be utterly confused and might start to think that Q-Tips aren’t all that great after all. Keeping the price of Q-Tips affordable but not so low as to lose its perceived value is what my goal is in terms of pricing.

Promotion

Promotion means “activities that communicate the merits of the product and persuade target customers to buy it” (Armstrong and Kotler 54). Promotion can include advertising, personal selling, sales promotion, and public relations. The advertisement that I am creating for Q-Tips is a promotion that emphasizes the many uses of the product and attempts to persuade the targeted group (men) to purchase it. Promotion is part of the marketing mix, “the marketing mix consists of everything the firm can do to influence the demand for its product” (Armstrong and Kotler 53). This particular promotion is aimed at getting men to go out and purchase a product that is typically purchased by women. The commercial will hopefully get men to laugh and start to think about using the product and going out to purchase it themselves. The ad is going to focus on the fact that Q-Tips can be used for many different things and that every man can find a use for the product.